MOMSEN VIPA TRAIL ONE ALLOY

TThe original 100mm-travel Vipa is a proudly South African success story – you’ll see a handful at any mountain-biking event around the country. The 120mm Trail is Momsen’s bold move to make one bike that can do everything.

It’s not a ‘trail’ bike in the sense that you’d be able to keep up with Greg Minnaar down a mountain (you can find those on p90), but the extra 20mm of suspension gives you the confidence to take gaps you wouldn’t normally take, and attack obstacles that might have scared you in the past. It’s also super-comfortable for a marathon race such as JoBerg2c.

The alloy version is new for 2019, and is probably the best-value beginner dual-sus bike in South Africa. The frame has boost spacing and internal cable routing, and it’s the only bike in this category that comes standard with 1x12 SRAM Eagle NX. Get yourself a dropper post, and the dirt is your playground.